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Your Questions Answered
I just bought Pak Choi in the supermarket how do you cook it? - Mrs Thompson, Bromley (11 November 2006)
You can steam, pan fry or boil Pak Choi.
To Fry:
1. Put some oil in a pan or wok and turn on.
2. Finely chop some garlic into small small pieces.
3. Fry the garlic until brownish and fragrent.
4. Add the pak choi and cook 3-5 minutes until leaves are dark green and soft. Stems should still be crunchy but soft.
To boil/Steam:
1. Put your washed and cut Pak Choi into boiling water for about 3 mins.
2. Drain, onto a plate.
3. Put a couple of tablespoons of Oyster sauce on top.
(You could also steam for a few minutes rather than boil.)
[Please click here for more Pak Choi suggestions]
How long will freshly cut choi sum last for? - Jamie, Bristol (10 November 2006)
When storing Choi Sum cut off the thick stems below the twist tie. Then remove the twist tie from the stems
to extend storage life. The tight ties can cause the stems to break down.
Line a plastic bag with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
Although best eaten when fresh, Choi Sum can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Stir Fry
| 1. | Use rather small quantity of oil |
| 2. | Put in the vegetables when the oil is moderately hot |
| 3. | After the initial stirring of the vegetables, evenly
add a flavouring agent such as salt, sugar or chicken stock, and then a
little water (*not required for vegetables like spinach and tong ho). |
| 4. | Do not cook too long or the vegetable will lose its fresh green and turn yellowish. |
| 5. | You can also add a sauce now, such as oyster sauce, sesame oil or wine, depending on the vegetable and serve immediately. |
Hints
Vegetables cooked best when they are cut into bite size pieces. Avoid soaking chopped vegetables
in water before cooking, as this reduces the vitamin and mineral content of the food. Always rinse vegetables under
running water and drain in a mesh basket before cooking.
Sesame oil only added at the very last minute.
Oyster Sauce - found in all Chinese supermarkets and major supermarkets
Chinese Ingredients Guide
Coconut - creamed
This is a block form of cococnut whereby all you do here is grate it, then,
using a whisk, blend it with boiling water to a creamy liquid. It can be used to enrich curries and sauces.
Coconut powder
This can be tricky to get hold of, but "Maggi" coconut milk powder is sold in some branches of Tesco and independent stores.
It is a great storecupboard stand-by and is particularly good in Thai fishcakes.
Kaffir lime leaves
Fresh kaffir leaves are very difficult to track down especially in the UK. However you can find them
freeze-dried rather like bay leaves in most supermarkets.
It has an unmistakable oriental-Thai flavour. When used in dried form pound in a pestle and mortar or soak in a
little hot water to bring the leaf back to life - well almost. If found fresh leaves can be kept in the freezer.
Noodles
Just like their Italian cousins egg noodles are made with wheat and should be cooked to retain a bit of a bite.
Both egg and rice noodles are standard worldwide supermarket items now.
Sesame oil
This is a rich nutty sesame flavour oil. It's excellent in oriental dishes and dressings.
The flavour can be overwhelming so needs to be used very sparingly.
Soy sauce
Used not just for seasoning but also for dipping, marinating, tenderising and at the same time purifying.
The best soy sauce is made in Japan, where it is naturally fermented from wheat, soya beans, salt and water
(the only ingredients that should appear on the label). Again widely available in supermarkets worldwide.
Thai Fish Sauce (Nam Pla)
This is now much more widely distributed, and in supermarkets.
The sauce is a fermentation of small, whole fish (sometimes shrimps) and is quite salty so use sparingly.
It's an essential ingredient in Vietnamese and Thai cooking.
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